Viv&Ingrid: Golden

I am such a huge fan of viv&ingrid. This lovely online boutique, started by two fashionable women - Vivian Wang and Ingrid Chen - has set out with a new philosophy for accessible luxuries for the modern woman. Identifying the latest trends in fashion and jewelry, I'm always excited to see what they come up with next.

As we are in the midst of wedding season (I'm getting ready for my sister's engagement bash in a couple of weeks), I had to share with you a few golden items from their site just perfect for upcoming celebrations.



These golden Diamond Posts are just perfect for the bride-to-be. An elegant accessory for a pre-nuptial gathering.



Touches of gold are a perfect compliment to the warm and earthy tones of imperial jasper.



Exotic and refined, the Sedona Necklace is a favorite. Just as beautiful is the Gold and White Jade Fleurette featured above.

Are you getting prepared for any special occasions? Any special favorites that you love from viv&ingrid?

Vivre Summer Tablescape Giveaway {Extended!}

{click on image for a larger view}

I am so happy to share with you our first entry in the Vivre Summer Tablescape Giveaway. Laura has created a beautiful "eclectic summer" themed moodboard. I absolutely love the mix of coral, black and gold. Sophisticated, yet fun, I would love to be dining at this table.

More inspiring moodboards are rolling in. Submit yours next week, as we have extended the giveaway through to July 10th!

I can't wait to see what you've come up with. Have a happy 4th of July weekend!

Sneak Peek: Hammocks & High Tea

I am so excited to share with you a special sneak peek of a new line of home goods from Hammocks & High Tea. Simple, modern, organic is how Hammocks & High Tea describes their new line for 2009.

Inspired by the Caribbean, Hammocks & High Tea brings modern, tropical design into the home through a beautifully crafted collection of pillows, bedding, tea towels and even scented drawer paper.



This unique collection that brings together tropical patterns and modern tones is even more beautiful since it's also eco-friendly. The collection is made with organic textiles including hemp, soy and organic cotton. The result - a line that is fresh, contemporary, and as breezy and beautiful as the tropical culture that inspires it.



Visit Hammocks & High Tea to view their current products, and get news about the new collection right here on their blog. The new collection debuts later this month!

P.S. - Don't forget to submit your moodboard for the Vivre Summer Tablescape Giveaway. The Giveaway will be extended until next Friday to give you plenty of time to come up with a creative entry. Send your entries to aphrochicblog@yahoo.com.

{Images provided by Hammocks & High Tea}

Original Art: She Hit Pause Studios

Happy July! It's a new day, a new month, and I could not be more excited. Something about July just feels so special to me. It's my birth month, but also it's that time when you fully get to enjoy Summer. I'm sure you're already preparing for trips and gatherings for the long weekend.



To help you get in a summer mood, I had to share with you these beautiful photos from She Hit Pause Studios. It was AphroChic reader, Rose, who let me know about the work of a photographer she had stumbled upon at the Brooklyn Flea Market. She described his polaroids as if she were walking into a memory.



Photographer Matt Schwartz's images seem to remind you of something. For me, they feel like distant days that I once experienced. A beautiful haze that feels a bit magical.



His work is truly entrancing.

You can look for Matt at the Brooklyn Flea Market, find his work at Anthropologie or visit his site to purchase some of these unique pieces. Thank you so much Rose for sharing!

Finally, don't forget to enter the Vivre Summer Tablescape Giveaway. I can't wait to post some moodboards this week.

Have a beautiful July day!

{all images from She Hit Pause Studios}

VIVRE Summer Tablescape Giveaway!

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It's Summer time. Time for outdoor parties, alfresco meals, backyard barbecues and wonderful times spent with friends and family. To help you get ready for all of those summer bashes, AphroChic and the oh-so-stylish boutique VIVRE have come together to offer a Summer Tablescape Giveaway just for you!

So, what do you have to do to enter? It's so easy and so much fun, I know you're going to love it:
1. Flip through some of your glossies or online mags and select your favorite room.
2. Then, head over to VIVRE.com to select items for your summer tabletop.
3. Create a pretty little moodboard featuring your summer tablescape style, name it of course, and let us know your list of sources (see my moodboard above).
4. Finally, send your moodboard to aphrochicblog@yahoo.com, include your name and e-mail address and the subject: Summer Tablescape Giveaway.

Entries will be posted on the blog all this week, and at the end of the week you get to vote for your favorite. What will the lucky winner receive? Why, a $100 gift card from VIVRE to help you bring your summer style to life.

So, go on, get started. Is my inbox full yet?

Update: the giveaway has been extended until July 10th! Send your entries to aphrochicblog@yahoo.com.

Have A Lovely Weekend!

KleinReid has the most beautiful porcelain vases. This custom designed bud vase is made with a glaze that slowly runs and melts as the porcelain is being fired. The result is refreshing and simply poetic.

I hope you are preparing for a lovely and refreshing weekend. To help you get started, here is your weekly wrap-up:
- Style Talk with Nate Berkus.
- Custom screens from Frou-Frou & Claude.
- Dallas Shaw group art show this weekend in San Francisco.
- Mag Love: ARISE Magazine.

Remember, if you're in the Bay Area I'll see you tomorrow night at Stem. And come back Monday for a fun new giveaway just for you!

P.S. - you can now follow AphroChic on Twitter and share posts on your favorite social networking sites by clicking the share link in the comments section below.

{Image from Horne}

Mag Love: ARISE Magazine

There is a new magazine that I just cannot get enough of. ARISE, Africa's Global Style & Culture Magazine, is an unabashed look at fashion, music and culture from Africa that is shaping and adding to today's contemporary culture. "ARISE communicates the landmark success that Africans, and people of African descent, have achieved in fields as varied as music, fashion, business, and politics," says Nduka Obaigbena, Editor-in-Chief.



An amazing contribution to global style that continues to have an impact on contemporary fashion and decor, this large-format glossy has featured Alex Wek, Liya Kebede, Iman, and Nnenna Agba from America's Next Top Model.



The result, a truly beautiful publication full of some of the most inspiring articles on African culture, art, and politics I have ever seen. An absolute must-read, check out ARISE right here.

{Images from Arisemagazine.net}

Original Art: Upcoming Group Show at Stem

Tights Fashion Illustration by Dallas Shaw

If you live in the Bay Area, there is a fabulous group art show coming up this weekend at Stem in San Francisco. Featuring the work of Dallas Shaw, Leigh Bullard and Liz Ballard, on Saturday, June 27th from 5pm - 8pm you can enjoy yummy cupcakes by Batter Bakery and fabulous original art by these three ladies.


Lanvin 01 Art Print by Leigh Bullard


Summer by Liz Ballard

Keep a look out for me at the show. I'll definitely be there to check out what's new from Dallas, Leigh and Liz.

See you at Stem!

Frou-Frou & Claude

Sometimes it feels like unique finds are hard to come by. In the world of mass marketing it's always wonderful to find something completely new that can be customized to fit your individual style. That's why I love these luxury screens from Frou-Frou & Claude.



Recently launched in the UK, designer Shelley McDonald's upholstered screens are sure to make a statement in your home. Perfect for setting aside some private space in a guest bedroom, a little nook in the nursery, or for cornering off a home office, I absolutely love the classic look of these screens.



The fun part begins in picking your own upholstery to customize your screen. Recommended fabric stockists include Designer's Guild, Liberty Fabrics, and Neisha Crosland.



So, now that you're in love, I know you want to know where you can get your custom Frou-Frou and Claude screen. Well, the good news is screens are shipped worldwide, and if you live in central London your custom screen can be couriered straight to your door! Now that's luxury.

Take a look at Frou-Frou & Claude's collection right here.

Style Talk With Nate Berkus

Photographer: Carter Berg

Name: Nate Berkus
Place: Chicago, IL
Design Firm: Nate Berkus Associates

I am so excited to bring you today's Style Talk Interview with Nate Berkus! It's not every day that you get to interview one of America's top interior designers and someone who has had such a major influence on your own interior design philosophy. I first fell in love with Nate when he made over a small space on Oprah. Since that time he has been featured everywhere from Elle Decor to Domino, and has produced collections for Linen N Things and now the Home Shopping Network. I had the opportunity to ask Nate about what inspires him as an interior designer and his new line for HSN.

Tell us about your design philosophy.
Make your home your own. Whether that means traditional or mod, you owe it to yourself to outfit your space with what you love and what makes you comfortable.



How does your design philosophy translate into the rooms you create?
I spend quite a bit of time getting to know my client as well as their families. Do they have pets? Do they travel? What are their hobbies? I want to hear it all. It’s the only way for me to do my job. I know exactly what I’d do in the space if I were moving in, but that isn’t the point. I’m not making their home for me to live in. It’s for them and it needs to rise up to greet them each time they walk through the door.

Can you give AphroChic readers an example of a room that embodies these ideas?
In my own home, it’s my den. It’s filled with stacks of books. I love to read and have two comfy couches for plenty of seating for when friends come over for Thai take-out and movies.



How did you discover your own personal style and voice in the world of interior design?
To me it’s an evolution. As I experience new places or people, I find new inspiration or new passions that work their way into my home. As we change, so do our homes, or at least they should. I look back to my first place and what I loved then and see only small touches of that in my place today. That’s the beauty of home. It’s a mirror for where we are at this moment.

What do you think the importance of interior design is today, and how do you see it playing a role in the larger context of people’s lives?
We all want to live beautifully. That doesn’t mean more money or high end. Just living well, in a home that welcomes us. And, why shouldn’t we? We spend so much time in our homes. We create our best memories there. Home is where we get our start.



What inspired your new line for HSN?
I travel. I read. All of that inspiration makes its way into my products. And, I thought of what I wanted. What pillows did I want on my couch right now? What types of sheets do I love? I’m my best customer!

How did today’s current recession fit into your ideas for this new line?
I have always wanted what I design to be the right value for my fans. So, I just maintained that same focus for my line of products sold on HSN.



Your new line for HSN has a lot of cultural influences. How does global style fit into the collection?
People tell themselves that if they like one style everything in their home needs to fall within that look. To me that’s creating a theme, not a feeling. Liking traditional doesn’t mean you can’t put out an Ikat frame. Or a country look doesn’t mean that you can’t bring home something from a flea market that’s a bit mod. It’s just about balance. Follow your heart and just choose what you love.



Tell us about your unique partnership with Cotton Made in Africa.
I wanted my towels to feel luxe, but I wanted them to work. Great towels are always 100% cotton. So, I asked the team if there were differences in the cotton. That spurred a great idea to use my towel for a great cause. First, we found the style and look that we liked and then we sourced the cotton from the Cotton Made in Africa Fair Trade group.





As one of the world’s top designers, you’ve already accomplished so much. What is it that you feel keeps you motivated and inspired going forward?
It’s simple. I love what I do. And, I get just as much inspiration from the process of working with others as I do spending time on my own interiors. Doing what I do is a true gift.

What can we expect to see next from Nate Berkus?
I keep dreaming up new items to add to my current line. So, stay tuned.



Any tips for readers on how they can make their home a soulful space?
Get to know yourself and make sure that space reflects who you are.

Thank you so much Nate for sharing your thoughts and vision with AphroChic readers! To see more of Nate's new collection for HSN click here. Super stylish, everything in the collection retails for under $500. You are going to love it!

{Images from Nate Berkus Home Decor for HSN.com}